Cooking tips you wish you had known earlier

[TorqueDirty]

I like to cook and sometimes I even manage to make something quite nice!

However over the years I have also turned out lots of dishes that for one reason or another were just not quite there.

Every now and then I learn something that transforms one of my dishes from "just OK" to delicious, and often the thing that does this is really quite a small change.

For example, brining chicken breasts before baking them in a very hot oven. Simply soaking the chicken breasts in salted water for 10 minutes before drying, seasoning and cooking in a really hot oven makes a huge difference. Using a food thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked removes all the worry about serving under cooked chicken.

Result - beautifully juicy, tender and well flavoured chicken breasts.

I used to cook un-brined chicken breasts for a lot longer in a medium oven and it generally ended up dry, tough and poorly flavoured.

So what are your simple but amazing cooking tips?

It would be great for everyone to share their own tips so we can all benefit - and earn extra brownie points for the food we cook.

[dapprman]

For me it was the discovery that when softening or caramelising onions (say when making the base for a curry) you can't skimp on the oil (as I used to) and you do need the heat.

[Leylandeye]

At the risk of appearing stupid, I only realised a short time ago to be careful not to overheat paprika as it goes bitter.

[Melman Giraffe]

Adding Anchovies to your sauces - try it you will be amazed

[DaveTheRave87]

Seasoning. Mum never did it when I was at home, only started doing it recently.

A little bit of salt and pepper makes everything so much better.

[TorqueDirty]

Melman Giraffe said:

Adding Anchovies to your sauces - try it you will be amazed

I heard about this the other day but have yet to try it. It is on the list though.

Interesting Paprika tip too. Will keep that in mind.

Keep 'em coming!

[toon10]

If you are slow cooking a pork shoulder to make pulled pork, pour a small can of Dr Pepper in to keep it moist and add flavour. Seemed like a strange thing to do when I first tried it but it was the best advice I ever got for making pulled pork.

[anonymous-user]

If boiling anything spuds etc, place a wooden spoon across the top of the pan and it will prevent an un-watched pot boiling over

[tedmus]

Melman Giraffe said:

Adding Anchovies to your sauces - try it you will be amazed

Always go in a ragu type sauce for me.

Soy sauce is another decent addition, I use it in all sorts to add a bit of an umami hit.

[rich12]

toon10 said:

If you are slow cooking a pork shoulder to make pulled pork, pour a small can of Dr Pepper in to keep it moist and add flavour. Seemed like a strange thing to do when I first tried it but it was the best advice I ever got for making pulled pork.

Just to add to this;
Gammon joint in a slow cooker with coke (the liquid type/full fat) covering it.
It will be the best gammon you've ever eaten and just falls apart.

[SHutchinson]

If you are looking to fry 'something', get your pan hot before you put the 'something' in otherwise you end up boiling it for a while.

[TorqueDirty]

Another one from a few months ago.

I have been making Chilli con Carne for years with varied success - sometimes it is pretty good, sometimes it is just OK, but it has never been really great.

I often end up chasing that elusive authentic flavour and end up adding too much cumin or something.

Then I discovered Chipotle paste. A few teaspoons of this in the sauce and it all comes together. Hot, smokey, slightly sweet, slightly sour - lovely. It is still not perfect - but it is getting there.

Any other tips on making the perfect Chilli?

Also, using low fat mince might be healthier but it really takes a lot of flavour away from this dish - unlike Spag Bol which is fine or actually even better with lean mince.

[Type R Tom]

Don't be afraid of MSG

Batch cook as much as possible for meals during the week/freezer as it isn't much more effort.

Always use a thermometer.

Use amazon for spices that you can't get in the supermarket or depending on where you live, have a look around the local's shops in an area with BAME residents for more interesting and often cheaper ingredients.

If you are interested in the science of cooking check out Meathead or Kenji Lopez alt

Learn to deglaze a pan for sauces and extra flavor.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Oil the steak, not the pan.

[geeks]

TorqueDirty said:

Another one from a few months ago.

I have been making Chilli con Carne for years with varied success - sometimes it is pretty good, sometimes it is just OK, but it has never been really great.

I often end up chasing that elusive authentic flavour and end up adding too much cumin or something.

Then I discovered Chipotle paste. A few teaspoons of this in the sauce and it all comes together. Hot, smokey, slightly sweet, slightly sour - lovely. It is still not perfect - but it is getting there.

Any other tips on making the perfect Chilli?

Also, using low fat mince might be healthier but it really takes a lot of flavour away from this dish - unlike Spag Bol which is fine or actually even better with lean mince.

Add a half can of coke for chilli for 4 or a full can for a larger batch.

[BoRED S2upid]

TorqueDirty said:

Another one from a few months ago.

I have been making Chilli con Carne for years with varied success - sometimes it is pretty good, sometimes it is just OK, but it has never been really great.

I often end up chasing that elusive authentic flavour and end up adding too much cumin or something.

Then I discovered Chipotle paste. A few teaspoons of this in the sauce and it all comes together. Hot, smokey, slightly sweet, slightly sour - lovely. It is still not perfect - but it is getting there.

Any other tips on making the perfect Chilli?

Also, using low fat mince might be healthier but it really takes a lot of flavour away from this dish - unlike Spag Bol which is fine or actually even better with lean mince.

I’m very prepared to be flamed for this tip and I don’t expect to go on master chef anytime soon but a touch of beef gravy granules to thicken the chilli sauce works a treat I find not too much that you taste gravy but it thickens and adds a beefy note to your hot, spicery, smokey sauce.

[BoRED S2upid]

digimeistter said:

If boiling anything spuds etc, place a wooden spoon across the top of the pan and it will prevent an un-watched pot boiling over

How does a wooden spoon stop boiling water boiling over? I’m going to try that as I don’t see how it works.

[anonymous-user]

TorqueDirty said:

Any other tips on making the perfect Chilli?

After trying various variants, the two changes that consistently elevate a chilli:

Minced Beef & Shin of beef in decent sized chunks.
Glass of red wine.
Couple of small chunks of decent dark chocolate just before serving.

[fat80b]

TorqueDirty said:

Any other tips on making the perfect Chilli?

We don't use mince for Chili - use diced beef instead- far better end product imho.

Other Chilli tips from our house:

Always let it go fully cold on the stove and re-heat it before serving - there is something in the cooling and reheating step that brings it all together.

A spoon of chocolate powder right at the end.

Double the amount of kidney beans - you can't have too many.

[anonymous-user]

BoRED S2upid said:

digimeistter said:

If boiling anything spuds etc, place a wooden spoon across the top of the pan and it will prevent an un-watched pot boiling over

How does a wooden spoon stop boiling water boiling over? I’m going to try that as I don’t see how it works.

Not sure of the science, but it works